Suggested Etymology: The Latin word aqua which has morphed into modern languages like Spanish as agua which means “water”, combined with a form of the Latin verb mentio which means to “speak, mention, or proclaim”.[4]

Description: Causes the target to become able to change colour to match their background, effectively hiding them without making them invisible,[10] but it is also stated that powerful wizards, such as Dumbledore or Grindelwald, could cast Disillusionment Charms so powerful, that they were effectively invisible.

Notes: The described sensation of a Disillusionment Charm is a feeling “something cold and wet trickling down [your] back.” When the charm is lifted, the subject feels something hot trickling down their back.[OP Ch.3, 4]

Seen/Mentioned: Used in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Professor Snape to make Harry’s potions disappear from his cauldron. In addition, when Fred and George were showing off their puking pastilles, Lee Jordan cleared the bucket of vomit with the Evanesco spell. During their stay at #12, Grimmauld Place, Bill uses this on a stack of documents. This suggests that Vanished objects can be recovered.

Notes: According to Professor McGonagall, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Vanished objects and organisms go “into non-being, which is to say, everything.” This was McGonagall’s response to the question, “Where do vanished objects go?” from the doorknocker at Ravenclaw Tower.

Description: This spell is used to disarm another wizard, typically by causing the victim’s wand to fly out of reach[12][13]. It can also throw the target backwards when enough power is put into it. As demonstrated in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, simultaneous use of this spell by multiple witches or wizards on a single person can throw the wizard back with much greater force.

Description: A charm involving secret information hidden within the soul of a Secret-Keeper. This information is irretrievable until the Secret-Keeper chooses to reveal it; those who have the secret revealed to them cannot reveal it to others.

Notes: Rowling previously stated that when a Secret-Keeper dies, the Secret they held can never be revealed to anyone else; the people who were told before the Secret-Keeper’s death will still know the secret, but after the death of the Secret-Keeper no one new can be brought into the circle of knowledge.[14] However, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is explained that upon the Keeper’s death, all those who have been told the secret become Secret-Keepers in turn, and can pass the secret on to others.

Description: Fiendfyre is a seemingly unstoppable cursed fire, the flames of which take the shape of fantastic creatures that pursue those caught in its path. It is shown to be capable of destroying Horcruxes.

Description: This hex is capable of tripping, freezing, binding, knocking back and generally impeding the target’s progress towards the caster. The extent to which the spell’s specific action can be controlled by the caster is not made clear. If this spell does bind it does eventually wear off as stated in Deathly Hallows.

Seen/Mentioned: It is first seen in Philosopher’s Stone when Hagrid produces fire out of his umbrella in the little house the Dursleys took refuge in (from the Hogwarts letters). In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, this spell is used several times in battle, for instance when Hagrid’s hut is set ablaze.

Description: A jinx that renders its victim’s legs temporarily useless, leaving them to wobble around helplessly until the effect wears off or the counter-jinx is performed.

Seen/Mentioned: First mentioned as one of the jinxes in the book Curses and Counter-Curses.[PS Ch.5] Then used by Harry practising for the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament, by Hermione.[GF Ch.31] After the tournament, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle tried to harass Harry and were hit with a few hexes, curses and jinxes, including the Jelly-Legs Jinx.[GF Ch.37]

Description: The spell is always used with the name of a target, at which the wand is pointed (e.g. “Locomotor Trunk!”). The spell causes the named object to rise in the air and move around at the will of the caster.

Description: Causes the echo (a shadow or image) of the last spell cast by a wand to emanate from it.

Seen/Mentioned: Used by Amos Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to discover the last spell cast by Harry’s wand after it was found in the hands of Winky, a house-elf. Mentioned in Deathly Hallows as a means of discovering that Harry had been casting spells with Hermione’s wand (implying that his own was broken).

Description: A charm used to force someone or something to release that which it holds or grapples by means of shooting fiery sparks out or, underwater, shooting hot bursts of water. Also causes victim of spell to simply release whatever they are holding at the time. This charm is not projectiled.

Suggested Etymology: Officially renamed from Ennervate by J. K. Rowling[18] from the prefix “re-” would come from Latin re-, “again” and “en-” Old French from “in-” L. cause to be + “nerves” Eng. c.1603 strength, from “nervus” L. nerve [19]

Notes: Counter spell to Stupefy; when this spell is cast, red light is emitted.

Description: A spell used when fighting a Boggart, “Riddikulus” forces the Boggart to take the appearance of an object upon which the caster is concentrating. When used correctly this will be a humorous form.

Notes: Though Severus Snape was able to mend the wounds inflicted on Draco Malfoy by this curse with ease, with “an incantation that sounded almost like song”, Molly Weasley was unable to heal her son George Weasley, when his ear was severed by the curse. It was discovered in an old copy of Advanced Potion Making by Harry; Sectumsempra was invented by Severus Snape with the words “For enemies” written next to it.

Seen/Mentioned: Mentioned by Ron outside of the Hogwarts Express during the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as a potential substitute for using mirrors while driving a Muggle automobile.

Description: A jinx which may be placed upon a word or a name, so that whenever that word is spoken, a magical disturbance is created which alerts the caster of the Taboo to the location of the speaker.

Suggested Etymology:Tarantula, a spider; tarantella, a kind of fast country dance once popular in parts of Italy, supposedly from the frantic motion needed to cure the bite of a tarantula; allegro, a musical term meaning “quick”.[11]

Description: A curse which prevents certain information from being revealed by the individual upon whom the spell is placed. The curse manifests itself by causing the tongue to temporarily curl backwards upon itself.